A formidable gang of music legends and modern stars -- with plenty of Nashville connections -- are featured on the upcoming tribute album Rave On Buddy Holly, set for release on June 28 via Fantasy Records/Concord Music Group.

Doyle Davis, co-owner of Grimey’s New and Preloved Music, says people who stumble upon his Nashville record store ask that question all the time. On Saturday, April 16, four Nashville record stores aim to provide the answer as they take part in the fourth annual Record Store Day, which celebrates more than 700 independent record stores operating in the U.S. with in-store concerts, sales and limited-edition music releases.

“In the age of digital downloads, it’s good to remind people that we still exist,” says John Moore, who runs the Groove in East Nashville with Louis Charette. “There are still places you can come to, meet people that are like-minded, and find things that you can’t get when you’re just searching around (online).”

What’s proven to one of the greatest strengths of record stores in the iTunes era: a sense of community. Many of the Nashville stores’ annual celebrations could be described as a cross between a block party and a mini music festival.Continue reading →

When Jack White plans a Record Store Day celebration, he really pulls out all the stops.

The April 16 shindig at White's Third Man Records is scheduled to feature rock 'n' roll icon Jerry Lee Lewis, Lewis' press folks announced Monday, and fans can expect a White-produced Lewis record to be made during the visit, too.

For the performance/recording, Lewis will be backed by an all-star band: legendary guitarist Steve Cropper and drummer Jim Keltner, with White's Dead Weather/Raconteurs compatriot Jack Lawrence on bass. The recording is expected to go on sale within weeks of the event.

Other special Third Man treats planned for Record Store Day: a new single from Karen Elson, featuring a cover of Lou Reed's "Vicious" backed with Elson original "In Trouble With the Lord" (the release will be on clear vinyl with hand-inserted, peach-colored rose petals locked inside); two White Stripes reissues -- their first release, "Let’s Shake Hands"/"Look Me Over Closely," and second, "Lafayette Blues"/"Sugar Never Tasted So Good"; and the debut offering from Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi's Rome collaboration with Jack White and Norah Jones, "Two Against One" with "Black." (Those Rome tunes will also appear on the full-length, due out May 17.)

Fans will be able to pick up those releases at Third Man and other independent record stores.

Jerry Lee Lewis' show is set to close out Third Man's Record Store Day celebration -- doors open for that show at 4 p.m., the show beginning at 5. Tickets run $30, and are expected to go on sale at noon on Tuesday, April 5 via Third Man's physical location in Nashville (623 7th Ave. S.) and at ThirdManRecords.com.

Third Man's overall Record Store Day festivities begin at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 16.

The two acts -- who were both up for album of the year at Sunday's Grammy awards -- are part of a star-studded, characteristically broad lineup that includes Nashville rock duo the Black Keys, reunited '60s supergroup Buffalo Springfield (in an an exclusive festival appearance), hip-hop hit maker Lil Wayne, back-in-action modern rockers the Strokes and country legend Loretta Lynn.

Ashley Capps, president of Bonnaroo co-producer AC Entertainment, says the roster was assembled with Bonnaroo’s same tried-and-true principle: "Put together a mind-blowing lineup."

“But certainly with this being the 10th year, we were looking to do two things: keep the festival fresh, exciting, edgy and contemporary, but also celebrate the Bonnaroo tradition that’s emerged over the last decade, and acknowledge a lot of the history of the festival.”

In this installment of our regular Seeing Stars photo gallery series: A host of local and locally connected stars -- including Miley Cyrus, Ke$ha and Paramore -- throw down in Spain at the MTV Europe Music Awards; Taylor Swift heads to Canada; Trace Adkins heads to the Middle East to perform for U.S. troops; Toby Keith heads to Kentucky; and lots more.

Click the very colorful Ke$ha above to see what this crop of locally connected famous folks got up to recently.

With "Speaking Clock Revue," Burnett aims to bring the excitement of creating music in the studio to the stage.

"The privacy and the intimacy of the studio afford artists the freedom to create, but something thrilling happens in getting away from the machines and into the live communication of real time storytelling in the larger community," Burnett said in a release.

Tickets for the Speaking Clock Revue will go on sale at noon EST on September 27 through Ticketmaster.

Jackson's The Party Ain't Over album, produced by White, is due out on January 25 of next year, via White's Nashville-based Third Man Records and Nonesuch Records.

This LP will follow up the vinyl Third Man single from Jackson that Third Man issued earlier this year. The Party sessions went down here in Nashville at White's studio, with a team of high-profile players and friends adding sounds, including White's Raconteurs pals Patrick Keeler and Jack Lawrence, My Morning Jacket guitarist/solo artist Carl Broemel, country singer Ashley Monroe and singer-songwriter/White spouse Karen Elson.

News of the release comes around what'll surely be a fun day for Jackson: She'll receive a lifetime achievement award -- presented by White -- at tonight's Americana Honors & Awards event at the Ryman. The Americana Music Association’s Honors & Awards will also include appearances from Buddy Miller, Emmylou Harris, The Avett Brothers, Rodney Crowell, Rosanne Cash, Patty Griffin, John Mellencamp and others. It kicks off at 6:30 p.m., and tickets are $55.